Artificial fishing-bait



f UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL J. W. GAIDE, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

ARTIFICIAL FISHING-BAIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,310, dated September 8, 1896.

Application filed November 14, 1895. Serial No. 568,933. (No model.) 1

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL J. WV. GAIDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort lVayne, in the county of Allenand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Bait for Fishing; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invenmy improvements are, first, to provide means for securing the hair to the body of the bait; second, to arrange the clusters of hooks and their connecting-wires so that the body of the bait will be free from strains when weight is brought to bear upon any one or more of the hooks, and, third, to provide an artificial bait the hair portion of which will tend to maintain its normal form when subjected to immersion. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical section of the bait, showing the general arrange ment of its parts. I

The body 1 is preferably made from a soft close-grained wood. It has a transversely cylindrical form, the upper portion being ornamentally turned, terminating with a spherical head, the lower portion tapering from its lower extremity upward to theshoulder 23 near the middle-of the body. To this tapering portion is secured, by means of tacks 18, the small strips or pieces of leather-15, having long depending hair 16. This leather is preferably made from the tails of deer, as that material best answers the purpose, because the hair from that animal (more particularly that taken from the tail) is long and almost impervious to water. Its variety of shades and contrasting colors make it especially suitable for making an attractive bait.

The object of leaving the hair intact with the leather is that it is more easily distributed and facilitates fastening the hair evenly and securely to the body of the bait.

A layer of yarn 17 is wound around the haircovered leather, which causes the hair to lie fiat and assume a downward direction, and also forms a cushion which compensates for the uneven thickness of the leather strips.

Around the yarn is secured a strip of ribbon 19 by means of the ornamental bands 20, which are placed at intervals and secured by tacks 22.

The body 1 is provided with a central longitudinal perforation 2, through which the wirei is inserted. The said wire is bent over at its upper end and forms a loop 7,which projects above the end of the body. This loop forms a convenient fastening for the swivel 21-. The lower end of the Wire 4 extends below the body 1, and is provided with an eye or small loop 9, which engages the eye 10 of the cluster of hooks 13 13. Around the shank of this cluster of hooks is bound a small piece of leather having long depending hair 12, by means of twine 11, which is subsequently varnished or otherwise treated to prevent it from becoming soaked or detached by the action of moisture.

The hair16, secured to the body 1, extends downward sufficiently to cover the points of the hooks 13 13, and serves as a blind for the said hooks. The hair 12 extends downward from its fastening below the lower extremity of the hooks 13 13, and gives a neat appearance to the bait, and answers as a tail.

5 is the connecting-wire for the hook clusters 14. 14. It is inserted through the transverse perforation 3 in the body 1, which intersects the longitudinal perforation 2. The loop 6 in the wire 4 engages the wire 5 at its middle, and serves to prevent the wire 4 from becoming detached from the body.

Eyes 8 8 are formed at the ends of the wire 5, into which the 'eyes of the clusters 14 let are loosely secured, and also serve to hold the said wire in a central portion. The eyes beusage, which would otherwise tend to pull apart and disarrange the ornamental features of the device.

The body 1 may be brightly colored, the

- bands 20 polished or made from a glittering metal, the ribbon 19 may be striped or dotted, and tufts of hair in sharply contrasting colors may be used in the construction, which will give the bait a rather bizarre appearance and render it exceedingly attractive to unsuspecting fishes.

In using the bait a line is fastened to the upper eye of the swivel 21, and the other end of the line may be held in the hand or secured to a suitable fishing-rod. The bait is cast out upon the water and may be trolled along near the surface, or it may be tossed about the surface of the water and occasionally immersed.

Fishes which are attracted by the lively movements and glittering ornaments will strike at the bait and'become entangled in one of the clusters of hooks. When the attack is made from the forward end upon the ornaments, the fish will be caught by the side clusters 14 14, and the more suspecting fish timidly attacking the less assuming rear,

. or tail, will be captured by the partially hidden hooks 13 13.

The hair being of an impervious nature will readily shed the water and assume its normal form. This feature is especially desirable, as the hair does not become matted or tangled, and is easily dried after it has been moistened.

Having described my invention and the manner in which it is used, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. An artificial bait for fishing, comprising the ornamental body 1 having longitudinal and transverse perforations, the wires 4 and 5 respectively mounted therein having a connection at their intersection, the wife 5 having eyes formed at its ends, and depending clusters of bearded hooks mounted therein, the wire at having a loop formed at its upper end, and a cluster of hooks and depending hair secured together attached to its lower end, and the leather strips having long depending hair mounted on the lower part of the body 1 and secured in place by means of the yarn 17, ornamental ribbon and bands, or other suitable means, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an artificial bait for fishing, the combination of an ornamented body having an extension of long non-absorbing hair of one .or more colors, with a series of clusters of hooks depending from connecting wires, the said wires being mounted in longitudinal and transverse perforations in the said body, and having a connection at their intersection, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL J. V. GAIDE.

Witnesses:

EMMELL V. HARRIS, FRANK GASKILL. 

